Dairy Newsletter Spring 2017

DAIRY NEWSLETTER

SPRING 2017

TECHNICAL ADVICE TO DRIVE YOUR HERD’S PERFORMANCE

INSIDE THIS ISSUE: p.2-3

OUR DAIRY TEAM / NEWS

p.4

POSITIVE TRANSITION PAYS DIVIDENDS

p.5

MAKING MAIZE STACK UP

p.6-7

GRAZING EFFICIENCY IS STILL KEY TO IMPROVING MARGIN

p.8

RESEEDING PROVEN TO MAXIMISE MILK FROM FORAGE

p.9

FERMENTATION EFFICIENCY

p.10-11

GRASS SILAGE PRODUCTION

p.12-13

WORKSHOP INFORMATION

p.14

GETTING FAT BALANCE RIGHT IN TRANSITION COWS AND FRESH CALVERS

p.15

OVERVIEW OF STACKPOLE

p.16-17

HERD DEMOGRAPHICS AND HEIFER PERFORMANCE

p.18-19

A FRESH LOOK AT THE DRY COW DIET

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www.wynnstaydairy.uk

Our Dairy Team Dr Huw McConochie - Head of Dairy Technical Services m: 07771 740857 e: huw.mcconochie@wynnstay.co.uk @HuwMcConochie Steve Brown - Ruminant Feeds Product Manager m: 07774 855026 e: steve.brown@wynnstay.co.uk @sirbilly55

MARKET UPDATE World raw material markets have never been so ambiguous. Political uncertainty via Brexit and more influentially Trump has left world’s traders floundering.

Dairy Specialists Iwan Vaughan - North & Mid Wales m: 07990 578548 e: iwan.vaughan@wynnstay.co.uk @maesmochnant

Post Brexit the world devalued Pound particularly against the Dollar. This caused UK export prices to fall – but with unfettered access to single market. Post vote prices of the UK RMS dropped in Dollar terms. UK buying power fell 20% giving higher raw material prices. HG Wheat which (aided by poor French quality) became very competitive to export (this year’s are a record). Barley less affected with a better EU harvest. Other raw materials, UK or imported still feel the full effect of higher prices caused by the exchange drop. The £/$ rate will eventually result in higher fuel prices.

Thomas Stephenson - North England m: 07469 851607 e: thomas.stephenson@wynnstay.co.uk @tomstivy Mark Price - Midlands m: 07876 824314 e: mark.price@wynnstay.co.uk @m_priceo

This was all down to uncertainty - markets don’t like it and will run to the Dollar and lesser to the Euro. And then…

Martin Hope - South West t: 07502 311181 e: martin.hope@wynnstay.co.uk

Trump. Uncertainty factor squared? The Euro will be hit (harder than the Pound) but dealers will not sell the Dollar against other currencies which are more volatile and uncertain. The Dollar being 90% of world trade and most counties FX reserves makes ALL others more unreliable. Trump’s policies - where they appear known - will mean growth and spending within USA infrastructure, strengthening the Dollar. US mining/ construction shares are surging. The threat is a trade war with China. The world needs a stable Dollar and Chinese growth to avoid any recession.

Nadine Pilkington - Dairy Project Manager t: 01691 827145 e: nadine.pilkington@wynnstay.co.uk

Calf Specialists Rebecca Davies - Senior Calf Specialist - South Wales m: 07881 093633 e: rebecca.davies@wynnstay.co.uk @richardscalf1

But Crops are good, FX will probably remain in current range (pending any unforeseen events!). So in the short term prices will probably not go roaring way - which will give the world some time to sort itself out.

Sandy Wilson - West & North Wales m: 07879 841672 e: sandy.wilson@wynnstay.co.uk @petticoatcalves Jess Charlton - Shropshire, Cheshire, Staffordshire m: 07990 584740 e: jess.charlton@wynnstay.co.uk @charltoncalf1

UK buying power fell 20% giving higher raw material prices

Eimear Diamond - South & South West England m: 07881 379008 e: eimear.diamond@wynnstay.co.uk @diamondcalf1

Eric Thomas

Millie Hendy - Somerset and Gloucester m: 07717 495746 e: millie.hendy@wynnstay.co.uk @hendycalf1

Commercial Manager- Feed t: 01691 828512 e: eric.thomas@wynnstay.co.uk

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WYNNSTAY AGRICULTURE

DAIRY NEWSLETTER AUTUMN 2016

NEWS FROM THE DAIRY TEAM

WE HAVE RECENTLY WELCOMED THREE NEW MEMBERS TO THE WYNNSTAY CALF TEAM. Jess has previously worked as an Agriculture lecturer at Walford College and at a large veterinary practice in Shropshire as a Veterinary Technician specialising in embryo transfer.

Eimear has a BSc in Animal Behavior and Welfare from Bristol University.

After graduating she joined Foyle Foods, a meat processing company where she developed a keen eye for good carcass quality.

Jess studied for four years at Harper Adams University where she completed a degree in Animal Health (BSc). During her placement year she worked as a herdsman and calf rearer on a dairy farm in Cheshire. She currently lives on a 400-cow spring calving dairy unit in Shropshire with her partner. Special interests include calf health and productivity.

Raised on a beef farm in Northern Ireland, Eimear has a firm understanding for the importance of getting the first few months of a calves life correct, resulting in a more productive cow, and better quality carcass.

Area: Devon, South Somerset, Dorset, South Wiltshire, Hampshire and any other southern areas.

Area: North Herefordshire, Shropshire, Cheshire, Staffordshire and the North Midlands

Wealth of knowledge and experience

Millie has previously worked as a livestock buyer and has a great understanding of what is required when it comes to the end goal of your animal. As a farmer’s daughter raised on a mixed beef and sheep farm near Bath, Millie brings a practical and hands on approach to youngstock rearing.

Our three new members of the Wynnstay Calf Team bring with them a wealth of knowledge and experience and will be offering the following on-farm services; •

Wynngold farm calf reports

• Wynngold Calf Metrics (calf weighing and reporting service)

Millie has a keen passion for all types of livestock and has established her own pedigree shorthorn herd. She has also enjoyed success in the show ring and stock judging.

Area: Somerset, Gloucestershire, South Herefordshire, North Wiltshire, North Somerset and eastwards along the M4 corridor.

•

Calf rearing advice and nutrition

•

Staff training

•

Creating specific farm protocols to suit your goals

For more information and advice please contact your local Calf Specialist

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MONITORING TRANSITION FOR LACTATION-LONG BENEFITS The cyclical nature of lactation means there are long term effects of every event in the cycle, be it negative or positive.

For example, lameness can lead to an extended lactation and an overweight dry cow; an overweight cow will likely mobilise more body fat in early lactation so be harder to get back in calf; and the cycle continues. Conversely, get it right and problems are few and far between. This provides opportunity for long term benefits to longevity, yield and profitability by optimising cow transition.

Metrics Metrics are the sets of measures that quantify performance and can be monitored to assess changes in management. Without the appropriate metrics in place there is no way of focusing on the correct areas to maximise a herd’s potential. Using the correct metrics to measure processes, changes that lead to poor transition can be detected, leading to systematic improvements.

By monitoring the process, predictions can be made and risks quantified, with measurable outcomes. Metrics can track cause and effect through transition and into lactation, better informing management decisions on farm.

Fresh cow monitoring Feed intake is a vital metric as energy balance at this critical time is governed by feed intake and not by milk yield (Grummer et al., 2010). Rumen fill scoring is a good tool to monitor intake.

By simply measuring fresh cow intakes and disease occurrence, many diseases can be treated quicker, mitigating losses and decisions can be better made to reduce future outbreaks.

Here are some key metrics that every dairy should be using to assess transition performance.

Dry cow period length Monitoring the spread of dry period lengths sheds light on how well protocols are executed on farm. 85-90% of cows should calve within 14 days of planned dry period length, otherwise dry periods are being compromised.

4 week milk targets 305 yield 8500 9500 10500 11000

TRANSITION COW MANAGEMENT

Dry matter intake Dry matter intake in close up cows is one of the earliest indicators of potential future problems as feed intake pre-calving strongly influences the incidence of post-partum disease, milk production and the resumption of ovarian cyclicity post calving (Cook et al.)

Monitor feed intake and provide a minimum of 75cm per cow with the objective of ensuring that no cow should compete for feed on the basis of social rank (Nordlund et al., 2006). Rumen fill scoring cows pre calving can indicate success or shortfalls in pre calving intakes.

Heifer 27.5 29.5 30.5 31

Cow 37.5 39.5 41.5 42.5

Early lactation milk production is positively correlated with lactation yield, so the better they are milking at 4 weeks, the more they will give during lactation. Table 1 shows 4 week milk production targets that need to be achieved to hit 305 day milk yields. As transition success improves, cow’s ability to reach these targets increases, increasing lactation yield. Any milk recorded herd can generate these figures, assess performance and track changes in line with management changes.

Cow comfort

By monitoring processes and outcomes of transition, optimising management for long term benefits can be done more effectively for lactation long improvements in herd performance.

Crucial in many factors for successful transition, adequate cow comfort will see better udder health during early lactation, reduced stress and higher intakes pre calving (Grant, 2007). Do not tolerate any lame cows in transition, as they are compromised with detrimental effects throughout transition. If cubicle housed, a stocking rate of 80% is recommended and on loose housing, 1m²/1000L lactation yield is recommended and ensure capacity is built into any system for peaks in calvings.

For more information and advice on transition cow management please speak to a member of our Dairy Team.

Mark Price

Dairy Specialist m: 07876 824 314 e: mark.price@wynnstay.co.uk @m_priceo

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WYNNSTAY AGRICULTURE

DAIRY NEWSLETTER AUTUMN 2016

MAKING MAIZE STACK UP Maize silage is a cost-effective, high energy, starch rich forage, and can contribute significantly to an increase in production of milk or meat, as an essential part of the ration. However, to get the most from the crop in terms of its nutritional benefit, it is important that growers select the right maize variety to suit their site and individual system.

Soil pH is critical and it’s surprising how frequently it’s overlooked.

It is also important to establish the nutrient status of the soil, and regular soil analysis will provide clear information on pH and soil indices. Soil chemistry greatly influences nutrient availability, so if the pH requires correction it must receive attention as a top priority. Once the phosphate and potash indices are known, the amount of muck and slurry due to be applied can be balanced against the quantity of fertiliser required to ensure the crop receives adequate nutrition.

The Wynnstay Arable Specialists can assist you in soil sampling the fields, and will discuss the results and outline the current nutrient levels and how they will influence a bespoke fertiliser plan.

Variety options Once the important agronomic factors have been determined, you can then consult with the Wynnstay Specialist regarding which maize variety would be best suited to your system and meet your livestock’s nutritional needs.

We have had an active start to the 2017 maize season and whilst orders are being made up of a number of varieties, Reason leads the way as the top choice after its outstanding success on-farm in 2016.

Maize can be tricky to grow, with the single biggest influencing factor for a successful crop something completely out of our control - the weather. But, by concentrating on the factors we can influence, we can improve the likelihood of a successful outcome at harvest.

This early maturing variety produced the highest ME yield/ha in its class, as a result of superb cell wall digestibility, starch and dry matter yield.

To discuss the variety options available to you, and to enquire about a soil analysis and producing a bespoke nutrient management plan, get in touch with your local Wynnstay Arable Specialist. For contact details please visit www.wynnstayagriculture.co.uk.

I would therefore recommend taking a step back to analyse the resources available, review the factors that influence the success of the crop, and see if a new variety, such as Reason, could be incorporated into the rotation, to enhance production and quality.

Factors to consider Once the field has been selected, the next step is to consider the field history, as it will help identify any potential problems. I’d encourage growers to ask themselves some key questions well ahead of time, such as; •

Has compaction been a problem? Is the field well drained?

• Are there any problem weeds which require specific control measures?

Dr Simon Pope

Wynnstay Crop Protection Manager t: 01939 210555 simon.pope@wynnstay.co.uk

By considering such issues, it’s easier to draw up an effective plan of attack.

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MAIZE

• Are there any known fertility issues which need to be corrected?

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GRAZING EFFICIENCY IS STILL KEY TO IMROVE MARGINS As milk prices recover, the importance of producing cheaper milk from grazed grass will still be key to improve margins this grazing season. With elevated concentrate prices, supplementation through the grazing season will need to be carefully managed.

Not only spring calvers can make efficient use of grass, higher yielding herds can still target higher milk yields from grazed grass through careful management of either grazing the whole herd or part of the herd.

The potential yield and margin gained by grazing can be substantial, however this isn’t a case of opening the door and letting the cows out, careful management and paddock layout need to be considered long before turnout. Grass is a great feed with huge potential to reduce bought in concentrate, however maintaining this quality of high energy and protein requires attention to detail especially in early season to ensure this quality is kept through mid and late season. The downfall for many is that intakes of grass are restricted due to unpalatable, poorly managed swards and we turn to buffer feeding to increase the DMI. Greater early season management of your pasture could mean an extra four litres/cow/day from grass through mid and late season.

Key tips for early grazing management •

Turn out as soon as ground conditions allow. Grass is at its best in April and May but quality is highly influenced by grazing in March and removing winter growth.

•

Set up a rotation and grass wedge from the outset, but remember that the length of the rotation will depend on grass growth. The optimal grazing point is when the sward reaches the three leaf stage (2800kg DM/ha).

The intervals between grazing’s will be less in April and May than during the rest of the season.

• Grazing platform layout is key, tracks should have already been placed to reduce poaching when accessing paddocks.

•

Figure 1- Stocking rates per hectare through the season Stocking Rate / Ha

Ensure there is adequate water supply to each paddock.

March April / May June July August September

• Graze hard early on and take residuals down; this will help to maintain grass quality for the rest of the season and increase DM yield on the whole farm • The size of the grazing platform can be calculated roughly using the stocking rates in Figure 1. In March this can include a portion of the planned silage area.

GRAZING

•

Monitoring grass growth and managing your rotation is key to getting this right especially early season. Measuring grass using a plate meter weekly and recording this data on a grass management software such as Agrinet will be a valuable tool in decision making throughout the season. Knowing how much grass you have available and estimating rotation length can give you the confidence to take surplus grass out the rotation or increase the grazing platform or being able to buffer if there is a deficit.

Don’t be reluctant to remove excess grass as silage and introduce additional grazing area or feed silage when grass is in short supply.

• Graze in 12 or 24 hour breaks, turn cows into fresh paddocks at night, this is when it’s at its highest DM and sugars.

•

3 6 5.,5 5 3.5 2.5

Supplementary magnesium will be required.

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WYNNSTAY AGRICULTURE

When grazing high yielding Holstein cows, careful consideration should be given to which cows within the herd can make sufficient use of grass. Grazing fresh cows can cause issues and it would be advisable to keep these in indoors. Grazing mid lactation and beyond (in-calf cows) can be done successfully without the need to buffer feed. Buffer feeding reduces the efficiency of grazing by making these cows lazy. Grazing a whole herd and segregating the fresh cows in for buffer feeding using a segregation gate can be effective, however the lows will need to be used to clean up the pasture and this can restrict their yields.

Figure 2- Grass wedge from Agrinet COVER

DAIRY NEWSLETTER AUTUMN 2016

Surplus: 10569 Target Pre-Graze Cover: 2450

2800 2600 2400 2200 2000

If buffer feeding is required in times of a deficit in grass supply, this should be offered before milking and cows returned immediately to the pasture after milking with an edge to appetite. The quality of buffer should be managed along with the grass available in the paddock so grazing efficiency is not compromised by wasting this grass.

1800 1600 1400 1200 1000 5

17 3a

8 26

9 2a

4a 15

7 21

18 20

14 10

19 23

22 6

25 1a

1b 11

13 12

29 16

If you would like any further information and advice for the coming grazing season please contact a member of our Dairy Team.

27 24

28

PADDOCK Target Line (2519)

Demand Line

Actual Cover

Inputting your weekly data into Agrinet will produce a grass wedge (as seen in Figure 2), this will show you your demand line and your target pre grazing cover once you have entered your rotation length. This will be a great guide and management tool to make the most of your grass.

Iwan Vaughan

Dairy Specialist m: 07990 578548 iwan.vaughan@wynnstay.co.uk @maesmochnant

Supplementation at Grass Depending on the type and stage of lactation of the cows, supplementation at grass will probably be necessary. Feeding concentrates at grass can have an effect of increasing DMI and gaining more milk, and also substituting forage DM if grass is in a deficit. Concentrates have a substitution factor of 2:1 when fed with grazed grass, meaning for every kg of concentrates added to the diet they will eat 0.5kg DM less grass, meaning that at grass 1kg concentrates= 1kg milk (when concentrates are 20p/ kg and milk will be 28p/kg, these marginal litres can be worth chasing depending on milk contract and seasonality), feeding more than 6kg at grass the substitution factor drops and can become uneconomical to feed more.

GRAZING

Knowing how much grass you have available and estimating rotation length can give you the confidence to take surplus grass out the rotation; or increase the grazing platform or being able to buffer if there is a deficit.

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RESEEDING PROVEN TO MAXIMISE MILK FROM FORAGE Regular reseeding to maintain quality leys can deliver reliable milk gains from forage, with a proven three-fold return on investment.

Reseeding top tips

Grass is a cost-effective core part of any dairy ration, but only if it’s delivering the required nutritional value, and it’s widely accepted that regular reseeding is key to delivering this.

Once the decision to reseed has been made, and the grass mixture chosen, the following tips will help in ensuring good establishment:

Even the best managed leys will suffer deterioration after six to seven years. A typical ley that has been down for five years can contain less than 50% of the original species sown.

• Destroy the old sward using a product containing glyphosate

You’ll also see the response from nitrogen to be as much as two times higher in a new ley containing perennial ryegrass compared to older swards containing species, such as yorkshire fog, creeping bent and rough stalked meadow grass.

•

• To create the ‘perfect’ seedbed conditions for establishment, plough, cultivate and roll the seedbed prior to drilling, and apply seedbed fertiliser as required

Typically, a reseed can produce up to 33% more yield in the first year compared to an old ley, and in a drought year this can increase to 50%.

• Finally, make sure the seedbed is fine and firm ready for drilling. Once drilled roll again to acheive maximum seed to soil contact. Attention needs to be made to ensure soil temperatures and moisture are adequate for a successful establishment and growth

Costings If we assume a modest average increase of yield from a new ley of 15% per year, over three to five years, this would result in the yield being approximately 3,450kg DM/acre/year. We can also assume a modest improvement in metabolisable energy (ME) of 0.5 MJ/kg DM to 11 MJ/kg DM.

If grazing, once the new ley is established, and the root structure is strong enough, you then must ensure the grass is grazed periodically from 8 to 12cm, down to between 3 to 6cm. This will help achieve a dense, leafy sward, and grazing will allow light to reach and stimulate tiller buds and clover.

These improvements in DM and ME from the new ley, have been shown to increase the annual litres/acre by 1,240L. If paid £0.25/litre of milk, this will give the benefit of £310/acre, minus the reseeding cost on average of £81.60/ acre, spread over three years, and will result in a net financial gain of £228/acre/year.

FORAGE

Take a soil sample to analyse pH, P and K indices, so that deficiencies can be notified and a bespoke fertiliser plan can be implemented

For assistance on which grass mixture would best suit your system requirements, and for help on costings and grazing management, contact your local Wynnstay arable Specialist. For contact details please visit www.wynnstayagriculture.co.uk.

Although these calculations will vary depending on each individual farm system, they are quite compelling in demonstrating the return from investment in reseeding.

Adam Simper

It’s this return investment which is encouraging farmers to invest in new leys, and the Wynnstay Arable Specialists can provide farm-specific advice to recommend the right grass mixture and reseeding program for you.

Grass and Root Seed Manager m: 07808 901179 adam.simper@wynnstay.co.uk

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WYNNSTAY AGRICULTURE

DAIRY NEWSLETTER AUTUMN 2016

FERMENTATION EFFICIENCY During the ensiling process, sugars in the chopped fresh grass are fermented to produce lactic acid which preserves the silage.

This statement is a massive over-simplification of what is actually quite a complex process. One which is dependent on many factors such as the natural microbial population, sugar content of the grass, age and type of sward, harvesting conditions etc. Consequently silage quality can be extremely variable.

Furthermore, this additive delivers two million bugs per gramme of forage so the fermentation is rapidly dominated and spoilage organisms are inhibited. The result - more silage to feed of higher feed value and more consistent quality, which can only help to reduce the overall costs of production.

When grass is chopped for silage it is already loaded with lactic acid producing bacteria. If this wasn’t the case it would not be possible to make silage as we know it without adding an inoculant.

For more information on our range of silage additive products please speak to your Wynnstay Representative or local store. To find your local store, visit www.wynnstayagriculture.co.uk

There is great variation in the type and activity of the naturally occurring strains of bacteria. Whilst some of the lactic acid bacteria (LAB) are very efficient at turning sugar into lactic acid, some are really quite inefficient at this process and therefore the overall level of fermentation efficiency is a long way short of what could be achieved.

The result of an inefficient fermentation is a poorer quality silage because more of the nutrients are ‘burnt’ to produce the lactic acid (and other by-products) required to preserve the forage.

If the fermentation efficiency is improved, fewer of the nutrients are lost to achieve the goal of a stable, well-preserved silage.

The better the feed quality of the silage, the better the animal performance.

As a bonus, the dry matter losses are reduced by an efficient fermentation so there is actually more silage to feed out of the pit.

Produce more for less The cost of production of every litre of milk or kilogram of liveweight gain should come under extremely sharp focus. By improving the quality of the silage it is possible to improve animal performance and produce more for less.

The efficiency of fermentation can be improved by using an effective silage additive. We supply a range of products to suit most situations; for wilted grass silage Wynnstay Dominator is one of the most popular and it contains a strain of LAB which is extremely efficient at fermenting sugar to produce lactic acid.

Dr Simon Pope

Wynnstay Crop Protection Manager t: 01939 210555 simon.pope@wynnstay.co.uk

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FORAGE

There is great variation in the type and activity of the naturally occurring strains of bacteria

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GRASS SILAGE PRODUCTION

Losses between cutting and feeding can be as high as 25% of the forage grown and on every 100 tonne of silage DM a 10% loss is worth around £1,250 In most situations producing and feeding adequate quantities of high quality grass silage is the basis of profitable milk production. Now is a good time of the year to ask yourself some key questions about your forage.

Good grassland management will help to maintain high levels of productive grass species in a sward and produce high yields of quality silage. Grazing swards off in winter will improve forage quality by reducing winter kill and the presence of dead material.

Controlling moles, chain harrowing and flat rolling silage fields will help to reduce the risk of soil contamination. Soil can cause listeria but can also result in butyric silage.

Key Questions • Was silage quality below target?

• Did forage quality affect herd performance?

• Was there an unacceptable level of waste on the clamp and at feed out?

Ensure that clamps are is good condition and consider where and how the silage is going to be stored. Remember if you are autumn calving there is little point having the best silage at the back of the clamp. If you are all year round calving it is a good to be able to use all the forages together in order to reduce variation.

• Did contamination by soil/muck/weeds effect fermentation and quality?

FORAGE

If you answered yes to any of these questions then it may be time to look at your silage making process.

Steps to make high quality silage

Aim to harvest in the first two weeks of May. Grass cut in early may well have a D value of 74 and high ME and declines from then on as the grass starts to produce stems and heads which are lower in digestibility.

Start with the soil; fertility and soil structure is essential for achieving high yields of quality forage. Try to establish a soil testing routine for the farm and correct P and K indices (Index 2-) as well as soil pH (6.0-6.5). Sulphur should also be considered as this can affect grass protein content. Timing, weather and target cutting date are important considerations. Target a total nitrogen application 120kg/ha for first cut silage from a combination of inorganic fertiliser and slurry. Remember excess N input will result in poor fermentation and effect silage quality and cow performance.

As we all know consolidation is critical and is why we should adhere to the 400 rule. This quite simply multiplies the rate of ensilage per hour by 400. This gives us the weight required to compact the silo to achieve minimal losses. For example, if we are harvesting 100 tonnes per hour we need 40,000kg of tractor weight consolidating per hour. That is equivalent to a large wheeled loader and a 200hp tractor fitted with a silopacter. If room on the clamp or machinery availability is an issue slowing the speed of harvest is the same as adding weight. Compaction and clamp losses are directly related.

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WYNNSTAY AGRICULTURE

DAIRY NEWSLETTER AUTUMN 2016

Losses between cutting and feeding can be as high as 25% of the forage grown and on every 100 tonne of silage DM a 10% loss is worth ÂŁ1,250. Remember you have paid to grow it, make it and feed it so why lose it? Every kg of feed lost is a kg of feed that will not be converted into milk.

Happy silage season 2017.

Martin Hope

Dairy Specialist t: 07502 311181 martin.hope@wynnstay.co.uk

If you would like more advice and information on silage production please contact a member of the Dairy Technical Team.

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FORAGE

Remember oxygen is the enemy squeeze it out then be sure to keep it out using quality sheets and a planned effective sealing process. A correctly sealed clamp should blow up if the sheeting is effective with the carbon dioxide trapped in the clamp. Sheet down each night so that carbon dioxide is not lost and replaced with oxygen.

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THE FORGOTTEN PHASE OF TRANSITION Not forgetting that the first three weeks of lactation is an important part of transition will be the focus of three on farm workshops being held in March. Farmers attending will have the opportunity to discuss with leading industry experts how to improve the management of the fresh cow in order to influence fertility, milk production, health and milk quality.

Wynnstay are fortunate to have the support of three leading UK and global partners to support these events and are grateful also to the host farms for their support.

John Cook- Elanco John started his veterinary career dealing with large pig herds in Yorkshire before moving to Lancashire and finally a large practice in Cumbria to pursue his interest in cattle. During his 10 years working in Cumbria, he completed his RCVS Certificate and Diploma in Cattle Health and Production and was involved with all aspects of cattle fertility, including an embryo transfer service. In 2007, John moved to a post as the EU technical director for Genus, where he was responsible for RMS, other breeding solutions, training and consultancy on all sizes of dairy herd across the European Union, Middle East, and beyond.

In 2013, John moved to a position as the UK representative for Valley Agricultural Services, where he maintained and developed DairyComp 305 and other software for UK farmers, vets and genetics companies. In 2016 John moved to Elanco. John is an RCVS Specialist in Cattle Health and Production (Dairy), and is an accomplished speaker on Cattle fertility, drawing from his extensive high-level and international experience.

John will be focusing on what metrics we can use as indicators of transition success from both a physical and performance perspective. In addition John will be looking at what records need to kept in order to produce these indicators of performance.

Dr Mike Wolf- VES

WORKSHOP INFORMATION

Dr Wolf, a farmer’s son from North Western Wisconsin, now a vet and founder of his own practice who specializes in bovine production medicine. For the last three years he has been working as a bio-response research consultant for VES environmental solutions studying and evaluating ventilation and lighting systems on commercial dairies.

Cow comfort and building design has a big influence on transition success. Mike will be looking at all aspects of housing design from stall design to lighting and offering farmers some great pointers for designing the most effective dry cow and fresh cow accommodation.

Mike Chown Mike Chown was raised on his family’s dairy farm in the South West of England and has college & Open University education, fields of study included, Mathematics, Statistics, Bio-Chemistry, Animal Physiology and New developments in dairy cow nutrition.

Mike has vast experience in the agriculture supply industry, with both moist and dry feeds, supporting merchants, farmer customers and has over 30 years of practical knowledge in semicomplete and TMR on farm ruminant rationing. More recently Mike was an Industry member of the OptMIR European funded project looking at Milk Fingerprinting. The theme of Mike’s presentation is looking at Milk Fingerprint in relation to rumen fermentation pattern for optimum performance.

Dr. Jeffrey Weyers, Dairy Research Nutritionist, Zinpro Corporation Dr. Weyers earned his doctorate in animal science, with an emphasis in ruminant nutrition, from Oklahoma State University (OSU). In addition, he earned a master’s degree in animal science at the University of Arkansas and a bachelor’s degree in animal science at OSU. Prior to joining Zinpro, Dr. Weyers spent eight years as an independent dairy nutritionist working with large herds in Texas, New Mexico and Kansas. His previous experience also included roles as global technical service specialist and, most recently, as technical service manager for a North American animal nutrition company.Dr. Weyers joined Zinpro Corporation as research nutritionist – dairy, in 2016. In this position, he provides dairy nutritional services to customers and the Zinpro sales team, primarily in the western U.S., western Canada, and South and Central America. He also shares the responsibility of overseeing dairy research at Zinpro.

Jeff will be examining if we should we be feeding our fresh cows any different from our milking cows and what are the benefits of appropriate fresh cow nutrition? In addition Jeff will be looking at how we successfully manage and monitor the fresh cow.

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WYNNSTAY AGRICULTURE

DAIRY NEWSLETTER AUTUMN 2016

FRESH COW WORKSHOPS Come along to one of our workshops where you will have the opportunity to discuss with leading industry experts how to improve the management of the fresh cow in order to influence fertility, milk production, health and milk quality.

Dates for your diary: Monday 6th March 10am – 2pm

Tuesday 7th March at 7:30pm

Location: Cwrtmalle Farm, Llangynog, Carmarthen,

Location: Bell Inn, Tong, Shifnal, TF11 8PS

SA33 5BN by kind permission of Steffan Richards

Steffan manages the families 2000 cow herd

Shropshire/Herefordshire area. Mark Price, Dairy

and followers in Carmarthen. Steffan is a keen

Specialist for the area and Dr Jeff Weyers, Zinpro

advocate of making decisions based on evidence

will be presenting on transition and fresh cow

and meticulous record keeping.

health and diets.

Tuesday 7th March 10am – 2pm

Wednesday 8th March 10am – 2pm

Location: Woofields Farm, Coddington, Nr Ledbury,

Location: Meadow Bank Farm, Condover,

HR8 1JJ by kind permission of Fred and Rose

Shrewsbury, SY5 7DB by kind permission of the

Simcock.

Ashley family.

The Woofields herd is managed by James Price

An expanding family farm which is progressive

with the help of his partner Maxine who manages

and profitable using 1 robot with the cows giving

the heifer rearing enterprise. Woofields have

45l. Plans to grow with more robots, home grown

recently invested in purpose built dry cow and

forage and home reared replacements.

fresh cow accommodation.

Refreshments provided at all workshops.

Limited spaces available.

To book a place on our workshops please call 01691 827145 or e-mail nadine.pilkington@wynnstay.co.uk

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WORKSHOP INFORMATION

Background: evening meeting for farmers in the

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GETTING FAT BALANCE RIGHT IN TRANSITION COWS AND FRESH CALVERS Ensuring the diets of transition and fresh calved cows contain the correct balance of fatty acids will help set them up for a healthy and profitable lactation according to Mike Chown from UFAC UK.

HERE’S WHAT TO LOOK OUT FOR:

Fats and oils are essential ingredients in dairy diets, helping improve feed efficiency while also boosting fertility and the immune system. They are an efficient and effective source of energy, helping reduce the consequences of negative energy balance (NEB).

•

Ensure adequate rumen-inert unsaturated fatty acids. Diets need to include C18:2 linoleic acid (omega 6) & C18:3 linolenic acid (omega 3) along with sufficient C18:1 Oleic. C18:1 is crucial as it increases the digestibility of all fats in the diet, thus boosting energy available to the cow and helping minimise NEB.

•

Minimise levels of saturated fatty acids. Feeding high levels of C16:0 and C18:0 fats while potentially increasing energy content of the diet on paper, actually reduce overall fat digestibility and feed efficiency while increasing feed costs per litre due to their low digestibility. High C16:0 will also stimulate body fat mobilisation leading to high levels of NEFA’s which can interfere with the liver function, compromise immune function, and affect egg quality which will reduce fertility.

•

Make sure rations also include the most effective source of Omega 3 fatty acids EPA and DHA from marine. These omega fatty acids play vital roles in both fertility and immune systems, helping protect cows from infection. These fatty acids cannot be synthesised efficiently by cows from C18:3.

Fighting infection takes a lot of energy and reduces milk yields. Research has shown that an activated immune system can cost the cow 2.16kg/day. Lactose output in milk accounts for approximately 70% of the mammary glucose use and lactose is made up of 50% glucose.

Assuming an average milk lactose level of 4.6%, the cost of 2.16kg diverted glucose is 16.4kg of milk (2.16 kg (glucose) x 0.5 x 0.70÷ 0.046 = 16.43kg). By boosting the immune system DHA and EPA help ensure more glucogenic energy is available for milk production. Their role in fertility is in helping egg size and quality and reducing embryo mortality, thus improving conception rates.

R & D shows the optimum ratio for transition and early lactation rations of Omega 6 & Omega 3’s from marine are 4:1

•

Adequate Glycerol to maximise utilisation of fatty acids. Also crucial for efficiency, we need to ensure we have adequate supply in the small intestines of glycerol as this is required to form triglycerides of the individual free fatty acids for absorption and utilisation of all fatty acids. Omega 3 Supplement, Dynalac, Venus and Glycerene are supplements which are high in these specific fatty acids and will help reduce fat mobilisation from body reserves, allowing cows to settle into lactation efficiently, leading to improved health and fertility and more cost effective production.

•

Supplementary magnesium will be required.

NUTRITION

But all fats are not the same, just like amino acids, individual fatty acids fulfil different roles in the cow. This is why it is vital to look at the balance of fatty acids being fed. Get the balance right and you can have a big impact on overall performance.

Mike Chown

UFAC Sales Manager UK

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WYNNSTAY AGRICULTURE

DAIRY NEWSLETTER AUTUMN 2016

SPRING AT STACKPOLE FARM Gethin Brown, Farm Manager at Stackpole Farm gives an insight into the current focus on the Pembrokeshire based dairy farm.

The winter period for a spring calver is always shorter and busier than expected, with a TB test before Christmas and a tag inspection in January there’s been plenty of stock work to get on with. Preparations are well underway for calving, calving pens and calf sheds are ready to go, parlours have been serviced and there’s plenty of grass out there to get at. Winter weather has been exceptional with grass growing right through our dry period and out wintered cows looking better than ever.

With 1,450 to calve this year it really is the calm before the storm we expect to calve 50% in 18 days and 90% in eight weeks

With 1,450 to calve this year it really is the calm before the storm, we expect to calve 50% in 18 days and 90% in eight weeks, good grass covers and a slightly lower overall stocking rate should mean that cows will be grazing straight after calving.

Turnout has already begun for youngstock with 300 of last year’s calves out at grass before the 1st February.

The focus for 2017 will again be to get as much milk from grazed grass as possible, this means carrying a suitable stocking rate for what the farm can grow and maintaining grass quality throughout. It is important to remember that more output does not necessarily lead to more profit and selling fewer litres of milk for a higher margin can be more profitable.

Despite this slow start, cows performed well, producing 395kg milk solids using 670kg of concentrate, we also achieved an empty rate of less than 7% to 10 weeks breeding.

Gethin Brown

Farm Manager at Stackpole Farm

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STACKPOLE FARM

A drop in demand for surplus dairy stock and the ever increasing risk of TB led us to use more beef semen last year, hopefully providing some very saleable British Blues after the initial three weeks of dairy calves.

This is a good time of year to look back on the previous season to assess what went well and what can be done better. 2016 will be remembered for the poor milk prices and a cold, late spring.

Magic day did not appear till mid-April which meant far more conserved forage being fed, the farm had only grown 1.5 tonnes DM/ha by the end of April compared to the 2.5 tonnes average for the previous 5 years, and although the autumn was exceptional it far from made up the shortfall. Grass quality however remained consistently good throughout the season, the final sample of the year taken in the last week of October came back at 30% crude protein and 12.2 ME, somewhat dispelling the myth that autumn grass is not a good enough feed for a lactating dairy cow.

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HERD DEMOGRAPHICS AND HEIFER PERFORMANCE Far too many high yielding herds are failing to make the grade in terms of milk output per cow.

The question is however; “what is the difference between those herds that achieve high yields per cow consistently and those that do not?”

Herd demographics play an important role in the milk yield potential of the herd. By demographics we mean how many cows of each parity make up the herd. As we are all aware in the majority of cases mature cows produce more milk than their younger herd mates, or at least up to their 5th lactation before they start to decline. Although nowadays it is unlikely that cows persist in the herd long enough to reach this point. What is important however is that as cull rate increases the average parity of the herd falls and so does the milk yield potential of the herd.

Herd demographics Figure 1 shows the difference between a high input herd achieving an acceptable lactation average of nearly 11,000L and a herd averaging only 9,000L. As you can see there are two major differences; the herd demographics in terms of replacement rate and the average yield of the heifers.

Rearing heifer’s right

HERD DEMOGRAPHICS

Of course this can be partly overcome by continually freshening heifers into the herd to keep the average days in milk (DIM) low and efficiency high, but then the quality of the heifer joining the herd then becomes the next most important bottleneck. In simple terms, if you have a high culling rate the heifers coming into the herd need to be top performers or otherwise it will be difficult to maintain high production. So getting the rearing of heifers right is essential for success. Again this can clearly be seen in figure 1. All too often the quality of the heifer entering the herd lets the herd down.

Herd A

Herd B

Parity

Percent of herd

Week 4 milks

305 day yield

Percent of herd

Week 4 milks

305 day yield

1

23

32.5

8963

39

28.4

7868

2

24

46.8

11274

22

38.3

9383

3

53

48.1

11630

39

43.3

10024

100

44.5

10970

100

36.2

9028

Figure 1. Effect of herd demographics and first lactation performance on herd performance

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WYNNSTAY AGRICULTURE

DAIRY NEWSLETTER AUTUMN 2016

Milk Yield 800 700 600 500 400 300 200 100 0 0

10 Milk Yield

20

Linear Milk Yield

30

Y = 6.42x + 352.16

40

R2 = 0.366

Figure 2. Effect of live weight on 4 week milk yield Figure 2 shows the effect of heifer weight at calving on daily milk yield at four weeks post calving. However, you may not be rearing your own heifers and therefore the quality of the heifer you buy will have a large bearing on herd performance. This effect is multiplied when herds are expanding and buying in significant numbers of heifers but equally it can be a problem when herds are trying to expand by breeding all the cows to dairy semen.

The problem with buying heifers in is that you are not buying from the whole population, you are buying from a biased population and unfortunately biased towards the poorer rather than the better end

Bought in heifers The problem with buying heifers in is that you are not buying from the whole population, you are buying from a biased population and unfortunately biased towards the poorer rather than the better end of the normal distribution. And in reality the variation in the population is eye wateringly large (Figure 3).

6 5 4

When we try to grow herd numbers by breeding more cows to dairy semen we are doing a very similar thing. All of a sudden we stop selecting and our average performer slides and worse still our heifer performance distribution spreads. The poorer heifers are now in fact even poorer. Including other selection pressures in this situation will help. Identify those heifers that had respiratory issues and the ones that didn’t have enough colostrum and the ones that were a little bit light at bulling.

3 2 1 0 4350

4970

5530

6200

6790

7350

7920

8480

9050

9620

10260 10990 11750 12620

For further information on how we can help you improve your heifer rearing programme please contact a member of our Dairy Team.

Figure 3. Distribution of first lactation milk yield in one herd Nobody sells their best heifers. Mr Dutch in Holland as an example breeds most of his 125 cows to dairy semen, he keeps what he perceives is the best 25 heifers and then he sells the remainder to Mr. Brit. The net result is that you are buying from a biased population. Unfortunately this is likely to get worse, why?

Dr. Huw McConochie

Head of Dairy Technical Services m: 07771 740857 huw.mcconochie@wynnstay.co.uk @HuwMcConochie

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HERD DEMOGRAPHICS

With the advent of genomic testing Mr Dutch is now able to select the most genetically superior heifers with even more accuracy which distorts the sale population even more. The few good ones that slipped out into the sale population are now becoming less frequent causing even more bias in the sale population.

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A FRESH LOOK AT THE CLOSE UP DIET In the last decade a large amount of emphasis has been put on managing the transition cow for improved performance but quite often all the good work is wasted by our inability to manage the fresh cow. It is often forgotten that the fresh cow is still in a state of transition.

Low vs high energy diet

NUTRITION

In my opinion, apart from the need to ensure that we have an effective hypocalcaemia prevention strategy in place getting energy nutrition and rumen transition on to lactating diets right are the two most important aspects to consider.

For example a study by Rabelo et al., (2003) compared the effect of a high and low energy diet fed in the last 28 days of gestation and found no effect of prepartum diet on postpartum performance in multiparous cows.

Addressing both of these dovetail perfectly in to one another.

The increase in energy demand on the back of a 30% decrease in dry matter intake (DMI) at the point of calving and the complete contrast in the type of diet fed, most simply characterised by the difference in non-fibre carbohydrates (NFC) content between dry and lactating diets, are two very important factors to consider. How do we deal with this phenomenon? Although counter intuitive the most common approach has been to feed a low energy diet based on straw. However, an in depth review of the literature reveals that there is as many papers supporting this approach as there are reporting the contrary. This last statement begs the question, “so why the conflict?� I can only propose that it is an issue of interpretation. Many of the diets used in the studies and regarded as low energy are in fact are as high as diets we would regard as high energy for dry cows in the UK. By definition these diets are higher in NFC and therefore the transition on to a lactating diet is less pronounced. Secondly, the higher digestibility of these diets improves energy balance in the close up period.

What is interesting about this study is what they regard as high and low energy diets. As you can see from Table 1 even the low diet is higher than a conventional UK dry cow diet based on straw, grass silage and blend.

This tends to suggest that out close up diets are grossly underfeeding cows at a critical time when DMI is in decline but also that higher energy diets can be fed without detriment.

UK diet ME

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Low energy

High energy

9.5mj/Kg/DM 10.2Mj/Kg DM 11Mj/Kg/DM

NFC

22%

38%

44%

NDF

50%

40%

32%

WYNNSTAY AGRICULTURE

01 01 01 HOUSE FRESH COWS SEPARATELY for at least 3 weeks and provide one stall per cow, 100sqft of lying space and 1m of trough space.

DMI DMI is everything.

02 02 02 FRESH COW GROUP The fresh cow group should not include sick cows.

03 03 03

FRESH COW CHECKS Carry out routine fresh cow checks to include, rumen fill, temperature, observe for vaginal discharge and hydration.

04 04 04 FRESH COW HEALTH Appoint one or two people to be responsible for monitoring and recording fresh cow health.

05 05 05

HYDRATION Hydrate immediately post calving with 45-70 litres of fresh cow drink.

06 06 06 MONITOR INTAKES Offer free access rumen buffer and monitor intakes

07 07 07 POOR QUALITY FEEDS Avoid feeding poor quality feeds, contaminated forages and keep troughs clean to encourage intake.

08 08 08 DO NOT SLUG FEED Do not slug feed in early lactation as this will cause acidosis. Work in Ireland showed not negative effects of withholding concentrates from fresh cows on a partial TMR regime for the first 21 days.

09 09 09

THE FRESH COW DIET Should be available 22 hours/day contain slower fermenting starch sources, intermediate levels of NFC between the main milking ration and the dry cow ration.

10 10 10

PROTECTED CHOLINE Feed protected Choline to close up and fresh cows to improve rumen function.

11 11 11

4 WEEK MILK YIELDS Use 4 week milk yields to monitor transition success.

12 12 12

DIET DEFICIENT HIGH DCAD OR IN ANTIOXIDATS LOW MAGNESIUM DIET

I therefore conclude that we should be reevaluating energy nutrition in the close up period but keeping in mind that drying the cows off in the right BCS is equally important, especially if a single dry cow diet with higher energy density is to be fed. If BCS is above target I strongly recommend feeding a far off diet lower in energy.

60 55 50

RUMEN ACIDOSIS

IMMUNE SUPPRESSION

HYPOCALCEMIA

MILK FEVER DISPLACED ABOMASYM

KETOSIS

LAMENESS

METRITIS

45 40 35 30 25 20 15

REDUCED PEAK MILK

3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 MONTH FRESH

Dr. Huw McConochie

Head of Dairy Technical Services m: 07771 740857 huw.mcconochie@wynnstay.co.uk @HuwMcConochie

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NUTRITION

NEGATIVE ENERGY BALANCE

MASTITIS

RESULT

Huang et al., (2013) did actually feed a very low energy density to dry cows in the last 21 days of gestation and found that a low energy density pre-partum diet was effective in controlling NEL intake pre-partum, and furthermore was beneficial in increasing DMI and milk yield, and alleviating negative EB postpartum. However, when the results are examined in depth, again we find no real evidence to suggest that a very low energy density diet is beneficial in the close up period.

Interestingly the authors also used 1kg of fat to boost the energy density of the high energy density; I question what effect this would have on post parturition liver function?

VITAMIN E Target intake 2500iu/day

4 WEEK MILK

RISK

LOW DIETARY FIBRE DIET / SORTING

Dann et al., (2005) showed no negative effect of pre parturition diet energy content on lactation performance. Vanderhaar et al., (1999) found that feeding a diet with a protein concentration of up to 16% and an energy density of 10.2mj/kg DM during the last month of gestation improved energy status and significantly reduced hepatic lipid content at parturition without any negative effects on lactation. Doepel et al., (2002) came to exactly the conclusions as the previous authors but also found no effect on body condition score (BCS) in the last 21 days of gestation.

For more advice and information on fresh cow nutrition please contact a member of our Dairy Team.

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LOW DMI AT CALVING

DAIRY NEWSLETTER AUTUMN 2016

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